1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to watercraft supporting structures, and more particularly to a modular apparatus and system for covering a watercraft supporting structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Many forms of watercraft trailers, lifts, and hoists require the use of rollers, bunks, skids, glides, or similar devices to both ease the movement of a watercraft on the trailer, lift, or hoist, and to support the watercraft on the trailer, lift, or hoist. Carpet covered bunks are commonly used on watercraft trailers, lifts and hoists for such purposes. Bunks are typically elongated planks of wood or metal that traverse the bottom of a watercraft to support the watercraft on a trailer, lift or hoist. The purpose of the carpet covering on the bunk is primarily to protect the bottom of the watercraft from potential damage that could be inflicted by contact of the bunk with the bottom of the watercraft. The carpet also serves to increase surface friction between the watercraft hull and the bunk.
The use of carpet on a bunk presents several problems to the watercraft owner. U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,909 to Danchuk, entitled “Friction-Reducing Support Member Protection Device” (page 1, lines 51-54) states that “the skid-covering carpet tends to deteriorate quickly with continued use. And although skids with deteriorated coverings may still support a watercraft, worn spots increase sliding friction and can permanently damage watercraft hulls.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,997 to Higginson, entitled “Trailer Bunk Cover Assembly” (page 1, lines 46-61) explains that “bunk-covering carpet tends to deteriorate quickly with continued use. The carpet material when exposed to moisture, and in this case when submerged in water, traps the moisture thereby exposing the wood bunks to an extended period of moisture exposure. Further, the carpet material will deteriorate through environmental conditions such as mildew brought about by moisture. And although bunks with deteriorated coverings may still support the boat, worn spots increase sliding friction and can permanently damage boat hulls. As a result, the carpet material is replaced frequently, and the wood bunks are replaced more often.”
Carpet material that deteriorates and subsequently falls from a boat trailer or boat lift bunk is often times left in the water through either lack of notice or lack of care by the owner of the boat and trailer. The carpet material often times remains in the body of water, and becomes unraveled and further deteriorated over time. This creates not only a degradation to the water environment, but poses a threat to marine life and birds, who may become entangled in a partially decomposed and unraveled mass of carpet material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,997 to Higginson, entitled “Trailer Bunk Cover Assembly” discloses a soft vinyl cover assembly with recessed portions that is mounted to the top surface of a trailer bunk. Soft Vinyl covers are sold by Harley Corporation, Evansville, Ind. under the tradename BUNKAPS®, and are marketed through the internet at www.bunkaps.com.
In addition to carpet material, there are various pads that can be used to cover a bunk. For example, one such device is a product known as “E-Z SLIDE TRAILER PADS” by IRONWOOD PACIFIC™, Inc. of Lake Oswego, Oreg. Reference also is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,063 to Stewart entitled “Skid Plate for Installation on a Boat Trailer Bunk”. The skid plates disclosed in the '063 patent comprise an elongate main body that is attached to a bunk.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,410 to Davidson and Hey, entitled “Bunk Beam and Bunk Cushion Apparatus for Supporting a Watercraft” discloses an apparatus for supporting the hull of a watercraft using a flexible bunk beam and a convex cushion attached to the beam using locking elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,909 to Danchuk, entitled “Friction-Reducing Support Member Protection Device” discloses a watercraft trailer support skid assembly that includes a protective sleeve sized and shaped to fit the contoured free end of an existing watercraft support skid.
Many of the bunk covering devices of the related art are attached to a bunk or skid using metal fasteners that have a tendency to corrode or work loose, creating the potential for damage to a hull of the boat that they were designed to protect. Many of the bunk covering devices of the related art also have a tendency to retain moisture which, over the long term, causes damage to both the bunk and the boat hull. In addition, many of the bunk covering devices of the related art do not provide uniform hull weight distribution across the length of the bunk. Many of the bunk covering devices of the related art are also cumbersome to ship and to install, and must be cut to size prior to application to a bunk. Many of the bunk covering devices of the related art also do not expand and contract at the same rate as the bunk, and will distort and buckle with temperature changes. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a modular bunk cover apparatus and system that does not rely on metal fasteners for retention to a bunk. It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular bunk cover apparatus and system that does not retain moisture. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a modular bunk cover apparatus and system that uniformly distributes the weight of a watercraft hull across the length of the bunk. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a modular bunk cover apparatus and system that can be easily installed in small sections. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a modular bunk cover apparatus and system that will not distort or buckle with changes in temperature. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular bunk cover apparatus and system that will allow for a coefficient of friction that varies along the length of a bunk, and may be customized to fit a particular application.